Automatic lever for furnaces



AUTOMATIC LEYER FOR FURNACES Filed Oct. 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ge orgeZfDz'elZ INVENTOR ATTOR N EY Jan. 9, 1934. G. E. DlETZ AUTOMATIC LEVER FOR FURNACES Filed Oct. 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Y W m ATTORNEY GeozyeZZD ?atented Jan. 9, 1934 STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The invention relates to control devices for furnaces, particularly those of the warm air type, and has for its object the provision of a novel lever adapted for association with the firing door 5 and the damper in the smoke pipe so that when the lever is moved into position permitting opening of the fire door the damper in the smoke pipe will be opened, and the construction being moreover such that when the lever is in operative position it will act to guide the fire door to closed position and maintain it closed against any possibility of accidental opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lever device of this character which somewhat resembles levers of the ordinary type except that it possesses the additional advantages above pointed out and is consequently much preferable in use.

An additional object is to provide a lever device of this character which will be simple and inexpensive to make, easy to install and operate, positive in action, efiicient and durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention preferably consists in the details of construction and the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a furnace, with parts broken away and in section to show the damper in the smoke pipe, the normal or looking position of the lever being shown by full lines and its released position by dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing the door closed, and

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1 and showing the door in open position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates, generally, a furnace here represented as of the warm air type including the usual chamber 11 from which extend distributing pipes 12 provided for the purpose of conducting heated air to different rooms or apartments to be heated. The numeral 13 designates the smoke pipe which is provided with the usual damper l4 pivotally mounted and equipped with a weighted arm 15. The fire door is indicated by the numeral 16 and is hinged at 1'7 as usual and equipped with an appropriate handle 18. The ash pit is equipped with a door 19 which forms no part of the present invention.

In carrying out the invention I provide a lever 20 pivoted for vertical swinging movement upon a support 21 which projects from the front of the furnace, the lever being prevented from coming oif by means of a nut 22. One end of this lever is formed with a weighted lateral extension 23 and is also connected as by a chain 24 with the weighted arm 15 of the damper 14, the chain being trained over suitable carrier pulleys 25 mounted upon the ceiling of the room or compartment where the furnace is located. The arrangement is such that when the lever 20 is in horizontal position the damper 14 will be in closed position, whereas when the lever 20 is moved about its pivot to the vertical position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1 the weighted arm 15 of the damper will move downwardly into the position shown by dotted lines so that the damper 14 itself will be in open position. Vertical swinging movement of the lever 20 is limited by engagement of a transverse screw 26 therethrough with the side of the frame 27 of the fire door opening.

The end of the lever nearest the door is formed with a laterally curved foot or extension 28 which is in obstructing relation to the door so as to guide the same during closure and to hold it securely in closed position. Formed on the intermediate portion of the upper edge of the lever is a ledge or shelf 29 upon which is pivoted at 30 a latch or lug 31 having an inclined surface 32 located in obstructing relation to the door when the lever is in its vertical position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, the purpose being hereinafter explained.

The operation of the invention is as follows. When the lever 20 is in horizontal position, it will not only retain the door in closed position by reason of the foot 28 overlying the latter, but it will retain the damper 14 in closed position, thus shutting off the draft and preventing the waste of heat by passage up the smoke flue. If it be desired to open the damper, however, it is only necessary to swing the lever 20 to its upright position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, when the damper will be moved to open position by reason of the weight 15 being then permitted to drop. But the door will be retained in latched position by reason of the lug 31 dropping down in front of it. If access to the fire box is necessary for replenishment of the fuel, the lever is swung to its vertical position as formerly but with the latch or lug moved back on its supporting shelf where it will not obstruct the door. But elevating the lever will move the extension or foot out of obstructing position with reference to the door, 110

so that the latter may be opened. But previously to its being opened, the damper 14 has been swung to open position, so that the gases may pass up the flue and not out into the furnace room upon opening of the fire box door. After the fire box door has been opened (which may be accomplished with the one hand while the other retains the latch member 31 in its position on the shelf 29), the latch member 31 is permitted to drop to the position which it normally occupies with the lever 20 elevated. After the fire has been stoked and refueled, the door may then be shut and on being moved to closed position, it engages the then pendent latch member 31 with the result that the lever 20 is swung to the left until after its center of gravity passes its pivotal mounting, when it will drop to its horizontal position, not only then raising the damper 14 to closed position to shut off the draft but moving the extension or foot 28 into position in front of the door to retain the latter in closed position.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that I have thus provided a very simply constructed and inexpensive automatic lever device for association with the fire door of a furnace and one which will effectually operate in conjunction with the damper for bringing about the advantages set forth. It is thought from the foregoing, that the construction, operation and benefits should be readily understood by one skilled in the art without further explanation.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that I reserve the right to make all such changes in the details of construction and the arrangement and combination of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention I claim.

1. In combination with a furnace fire door and smoke pipe damper, a lever pivoted adjacent the door for swinging movement in a vertical direction, said lever having a weighted free end and having a flexible connection with the damper, said lever being movable from a normal horizontal position to a substantially vertical position, means for limiting the upward swinging movement of the lever, means pivoted on the lever and located in obstructing relation to the door when the lever is in vertical position, said means being engageable by the door for starting movement of the lever from vertical to horizontal position, and guide means on the lever located outwardly of the door for assisting to close the same and for maintaining the closed relation.

2. In combination with a furnace fire door and smoke pipe damper, a support projecting from the front of the furnace adjacent the door, an elongated lever pivoted on said support and swingable from a normally horizontal position to a substantially vertical position, said lever having a flexible connection with the damper having a weighted free end serving as a handle, means on said lever for limiting movement from horizontal into substantially vertical position, a shelf carried by the intermediate portion of said lever, a latch pivoted upon said shelf and having an inclined surface obstructing the door when the latter is open and when the lever is in its vertical position, said inclined surface being engageable by the door when the door is closed for starting swinging movement of the lever from vertical to horizontal position, and a curved extension on the pivoted end of the lever movable over the outside of the door for guiding the same to closed position and maintaining the closed position.

GEORGE E. DIETZ. 

